Can You Feel It!

Michael Jackson, the name we all know, the greatest pop singer of all time, the “King of Pop.” I remember my family and I used to watch his tour concerts. People would scream, cry, faint, and even be carried out. We’ve all sung and danced to his music. But you know, the greatest song for me wasn’t just from Michael Jackson. It was the Jackson 5’s “Can You Feel It.” The intro, the break, and then the funk hits. And now, we’re grooving. The rhythm of the song is amazing, and the lyrics have a good message, but that’s for another time.

Just like “Can You Feel It” makes me groove, I know that other music makes us groove to its rhythmic nature. But there’s another type of music that’s not so subtle. Hypnotic rhythm is something that’s very subtle, and next thing you know, you’ve drifted far from the Heavenly Father. This is another power tool of the enemy in his toolbox. If you need a reminder, the enemy’s name is Satan. Just a little reminder if you didn’t know or happened to forget. Back to his defeatable toolbox, drifting is the most powerful tool that the enemy uses to get you off track. The word of God gives us a specific warning about this:

2 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV) so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

I’ll try to keep this concise, but this might delve into some deep territory because this is the enemy’s most potent tool. As I mentioned earlier, it’s the most powerful tool in their arsenal. Dale Carnegie, the author of “Outwitting the Devil,” describes drifting as a hypnotic rhythm that keeps us dancing and mesmerized. This rhythm uses our worldly pursuits and emotions as a means to lead us away from the Heavenly Father. The enemy is a formidable adversary, and when he manipulates us into seeking pleasure or allowing our emotions to overpower us, or both, he has us dancing to his tune, effectively silencing the voice of the Heavenly Father.

Let me provide an example of this in a movie reference, as you’re aware, I’m a movie enthusiast. In the movie “Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief,” there’s a scene where Percy and his crew enter a casino in Las Vegas. They receive a candy called the “Lotus Flower” and indulge in excessive partying and eating. Eventually, Percy realizes something is amiss when a man asks him the current year. His father, Poseidon, then delivers a message to him, urging him to stop eating the “Lotus Flower.” When they finally regain their senses from drifting, it has been five days. This serves as a prime example of how the enemy uses drifting to ensnare us. Before we know it, we’ve been drifting in our sins for years, sometimes even decades.

I don’t write this to instill fear or make myself seem superior. I write this because the enemy is real, and we must heed the scripture in Ephesians 6:11, which instructs us to “put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” The armor is undoubtedly the word of the Heavenly Father, and once we don it, the enemy flees. The enemy relentlessly tries to lead us astray, so we must put on the impenetrable armor of the Heavenly Father, stand firm, and resist the temptation to drift!

Next Step:

What specific strategies can you employ to stay vigilant against spiritual drifting in your life? How can you cultivate a supportive community that fosters mutual awareness and accountability?

God bless you, God keep you. God loves you and I love you too!